Ribbon
by KentaMarina
Summary: Follow the recollection of the Belkan War through the eyes of a simple fighter pilot as he unknowingly becomes a force that changes the fates of everyone, including himself.
1. Chapter 1: Treacherous Skies

"Ribbon"

Chapter 1: Treacherous Skies

In the days of the Belkan War, aces from every nation strived to leave their mark in history. Mercenaries or soldiers, it made no difference. But there was one pilot who stood out from the rest…a pilot I knew who truly deserved to be known as an ace in his own right.

This is where my story begins, above Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R, known to many as "The Round Table."

* * *

_**April 17, 1995  
B7R  
1030 hours**_

"This is the Airborne Warning and Control System, call sign Sky Sentry to all units," the radio chattered. "Enemy units confirmed on radar. All units, report in."

"Fang One to Fang Four, on standby."

"Gull One and Gull Two, awaiting orders."

"Swan Team, standing by."

As I patiently waited to check in, my team's own channel began to emit static. My team leader's gruff voice could then be heard.

"Hound Team, don't forget to follow procedures. I'm sure you already know how strict the top brass are back at base when it comes to these things," he said. "Hound Two, show the new kid the ropes, will ya?"

"Roger, Hound One," a serious-sounding voice responded. "Follow my lead, Hound Three."

"Hound Team, check in," repeated Sky Sentry.

"Hound One, reporting."

"Hound Two, checking in."

I remember my hands were shaking on the control stick that time. It was my first time being assigned to a mission, and looking back, I guess it was natural for me to have reacted like that.

"Hound Three…ch-checking in!" I said with a nervous sound in my voice. I could even hear myself on the radio after that.

"All units are accounted for," declared Sky Sentry. "Hound Three, try to calm yourself. Every pilot gets nervous the first time they fly a mission."

"Not me, AWACS," proudly declared Fang Two. "I was controlled on my maiden voyage!"

"Controlled? Was that what it is? That's not even the word for it. If I remember correctly, you almost committed fratricide before contact! Some maiden voyage you flew," Sky Sentry quipped sarcastically. "Let's cut the chatter for now, estimated distance before contact is in five miles."

From far away, I could already spot several dots on the horizon ahead. My radar displayed several blips near my position, and I could see that they were set up in five groups of four. We were clearly outnumbered, and that sent more chills down my spine.

"We're outnumbered, ladies and gentlemen!" exclaimed Gull One.

"All units are cleared to engage!" shouted Sky Sentry as the Boeing E-767 aircraft ascended higher than our squadrons.

"Yee-haw, let's rock and roll!" exclaimed Fang Two.

Swan Leader then went on the radio as he and his wingman's F-16s headed left to engage the nearest enemy. "Swan Leader to all units, remember bearing 151! It's the way back to friendly territory! Try not to get shot down within the Round Table!" he said, with the sounds of the missile alerts ringing in the background.

Four Hornets then passed by my team's formation at full thrust to intercept the second enemy squadron.

"Fang Team, engage!" exclaimed Fang One, with the noticeable accent.

A pair of Eagles trailed the Fang Team before breaking right to engage the third nearest squadron.

"Gull Team, engage!" exclaimed Gull One.

"Looks like all hell's just broke loose, boys!" Hound One then said excitedly. "Stick with me and we'll get through this alive! Hound One, engage!"

"Hound Two, engage!"

I gripped my control stick tightly and turned along with my team. "Hound Three, engage!"

The sounds of the missile alert began to ring as I headed towards what seemed like an F-4E headed towards me. I watched the targeting system analyze how far the bandit was in front me. The numbers quickly counted down, eight-thousand…six-thousand…five-thousand…then a long beep as a lock-on was acquired. A hail of machine gun fire came straight at me before I pressed a red button.

"Hound Three, Fox Two, Fox Two!" I declared over the radio as the two missiles released out of my F-5E. The missile alert stopped, and I could hear an explosion behind me. I quickly turned back to the battlefield.

"Amazing! Hound Three takes the first kill!" Gull Two confirmed.

"My boys and I are gonna be the team of the day!" Hound One proudly said.

It was after that kill that I started to calm down and focus into the action. As I immediately turned to assist the others, I saw another Phantom trailing Hound One after his transmission. Hound Two then broke away from his target to fire two missiles at the pursuing F-4E, leaving it to trail smoke.

"Shack on the target!" exclaimed Sky Sentry. "Looks like he's leaving the battlefield too!"

"I'm not letting him get away that easily," Hound Two said coldly as he pursued and downed the ailing plane with machine gun fire.

"Correction, make that a kill for Hound Two," Sky Sentry then said. "Hound Team leads the pack with two kills in total! Not bad for a couple of rookies, I'd say."

I could then hear Captain giggling giddily like a schoolgirl as I flew cover for him. Over to my left, I could see the Gull Team take on all four of the enemy squadron, with both planes taking on two a piece.

"Gull One, Fox Three!"

"Gull Two, Fox Three!"

The two Eagles released two XMAAs a piece in perfect tandem, taking out all four of the enemy squadron's MiG-29 planes at the same exact time. Of the four, I saw three seats that ejected as soon as the missiles struck, leaving me to believe that the fourth (possibly their flight lead) didn't make it.

"Yeah, alright bro!" they shouted once again in perfect sync over the radio. "Gull Team will provide cover for any squadron that asks," stated Gull One.

"Otherwise, we'll provide cover for AWACS," followed Gull Two as they maneuvered their Eagles in the direction of Sky Sentry. "Give us a call!"

"Seems that the frat boys are stepping up to the competition," Fang One flatly remarked as he narrowly evaded a missile. "Alright mates, if two of them can take four bandits out, then we can take the rest out of our radar!" he exclaimed. He then proceeded to pull a tight somersault maneuver to tail the Phantom that had just sent him a missile. After retaliating with one missile hit, Fang Two and Fang Three crossed paths ahead of him in an X figure to take out the craft with machine gun fire.

"Aw, dang it! That was Fang Three's kill!" admitted Fang Two with a mix of disappointment and appreciation.

Meanwhile, Swan Team seemed to be having some problems taking care of their engagements. I remember the rumors floating around that the two were to be wed after the end of the war, but nothing was known for sure. Soon enough, one of the bandits began to trail smoke.

"Whew, thanks babe!" said Swan Leader. The missile alert could still be heard in the background, however.

"Watch out!" shouted his wingman as a MiG-29 fired a missile at Swan Leader, who narrowly dodged it by a few meters above him by diving. In retaliation, his wingman armed her plane's missiles and waited for the lock-on.

"Swan Two, Fox Two!" she shouted as two missiles sped from her aircraft and took out the bandit.  
Fang Four whistled. "Damn, Swan Leader! Your lady friend's outperforming you today!"

"Sh-shut up, Fang Four!" retorted Swan Leader in obvious embarrassment.

My focus then shifted to an explosion just ahead of us; the Captain just took out another of the enemy's Phantom fighters and gloated over the radio. I confirmed the kill for the Captain through the radio.

"And the scoreboard has Gull Team in the lead with four, followed by Hound Team with three, and both Fang and Swan Teams tied a piece with one," announced Sky Sentry, as if commentating on a sports game. "Seven bandits remain, with one trailing smoke!"

"Hah! Who's outnumbered now, Gull Two?!" bellowed the Captain through the radio.

"Hey old man, don't talk to me as if I'm the enemy!" replied Gull Two as he flew past underneath Hound One and tailed our remaining Phantom before shooting it down with machine gun fire. He almost slammed into the destroyed craft as well as the pilot who managed to get out as well.

My private channel began to start again. "Boys, I want you both to disperse and take out the remaining targets. I'd like to see what you're both capable of. Understood?"

"Affirmative, Hound One, dispersing from formation," Hound Two simply said as he broke away.

"Roger that, Captain!" I said, pulling off as tight of a turn as possible in the direction of the Swan Team. It took my plane a while to catch up, given the fact that our team flew the oldest models out of the four squadrons present here, but nevertheless, I finally locked on to a target.

"Hound Three, Fox Two!" I reported, firing two missiles in rapid succession. To my dismay, the missiles couldn't keep up, and the MiG-29 easily dodged them both. I cursed under my breath and continued to pursue my target.

"Damn, this guy's fast!" I exclaimed, obviously frustrated. "Sorry Swan Team, I'm doing the best I can!"

"So you're the nugget that scored the first kill today, huh? No worries," Swan Two said rather sweetly as she sped ahead of my craft and fired a missile. The missile scored a hit, despite the enemy craft attempting to pull off a somersault maneuver. Seeing this, I applied the brakes, pointed my craft up, and took out the bandit with a hail of gunfire.

"Thanks, Swan Two!"

"No problem," she replied. "Thanks for the support."

"Five bandits remaining, with one successfully leaving the operational airspace," announced Sky Sentry. "Keep it up!"

Over where the Fang Team was, Hound Two practically added himself to the squadron, flying perfect support for the squadron as both Fang One and Fang Two scored one kill a piece, thanks to gunfire from both Hound Two and Fang Four.

"Much appreciated mates," thanked Fang One. "I'm gonna have to get you two blokes drinks when we get back to base, yeah? On me, of course," he then added.

"Well hey, you know, if we all aren't already enjoying this, you might as well treat me to one too!" Gull One added and laughed.

I continued to fly support for the Swan Team, much to the obvious dismay and embarrassment of Swan Leader. In retrospect, I think he never did like the fact that I started to mingle with his lady.

"Hound Three, Fox Two!" I exclaimed as I released two more missiles to take out another MiG-29, saving Swan Leader.

"Thanks, rookie," said Swan Leader. "Watch out, you got a missile heading your way!"  
I barely managed to break left to avoid the missile. I then flew upside-down and saw Swan Leader take out my pursuer with two missiles.

"Nice kill, Swan Leader!" I then said.

"Now we're even," he replied, sounding a bit annoyed.

Sky Sentry then came on with the notification tone. "One bandit remaining, take it out!"

Another explosion was suddenly heard mere seconds after Sky Sentry's announcement.

"Sierra Hotel!" exclaimed Fang Four in surprise. "Did anyone else see that?! That was one helluva maneuver, Hound Two!"

"We'll all watch the footage later from your camera and the Prodigy," Sky Sentry then said. "Down all enemy fighters!" he confirmed, and everyone started to cheer and regroup. I myself let out a huge sigh of relief, and the team's channel started up again.

"Well done boys!" congratulated Hound One. "Hound Two, I'll be looking forward to that kill footage," he chuckled, "heard it was magnificent!"

"Nothing too special, Captain," replied a humble Hound Two.

"And Hound Three, I counted three or four kills from you! That's some damn good fighting on your first mission!" exclaimed Hound One.

I simply chuckled nervously. "Thanks, Captain. I'm just glad we all got through this alive."

Suddenly, I saw blips on my radar, and then my fears came true when the notification tone from Sky Sentry was heard.

"Warning! Warning! Multiple reinforcements detected on radar! You're not gonna like the number!" Sky Sentry frantically radioed in. "I'll be calling in reinforcements, but head for bearing 151 and return to base!"

Static followed momentarily, but cleared up.

"I see seven!" shouted Fang Four. "Do I engage, Sky Sentry? They're coming in fast!"

"Fang Four, do not engage! I repeat, do not engage!" replied Sky Sentry. "All units, break away from the operational airspace!"

"Fang One here, I got a visual…and…oh, sh-"

My eyes widened when we lost transmission from Fang One. "Fang One, respond!" I shouted frantically. Fortunately, Fang One then came back on, amidst heavy static and the blaring missile alerts in the background.

"Damn it, I've been hit!" he shouted. "We've got ourselves some Flankers! Everyone break away from the airspace as quickly as you can! Just keep moving!"

I started to apply the afterburner, but my mind raced quickly.

"Fang One, I'm coming in to escort you out!" I then shouted into the radio. My hands began to shake at the control stick again, and it felt like I was going to crush it from holding it too tightly. Under the helmet, I could even feel the sweat dropping down the side of my face as I turned back.

"Hound Three, turn back!" shouted Sky Sentry. "What are you doing?!"

Captain then came on the channel. "Are you out of your mind?! You're gonna get killed!"

It was then that everyone else kept yelling at me and telling me to turn back. I know they were concerned, mostly due to the fact that I was more than just inexperienced, but in that moment I felt that I could take that risk and come back safe. I felt…invincible.

"Fang One, I'm closing in on your location!" I said, weaving through machine gun fire as I saw a Su-27 fly past me. I ignored it and continued on to meet up with Fang One.

"Are you mad? You could've been killed just now! Just what the hell were you thinking?"

"Yeah, well, I don't leave anyone behind," I replied. "You go on ahead, and I'll take care of things here!"

"You have better come back alive, you hear me?"

"Roger that, Fang One, I'll provide cover as best as I can!"

The missile alerts were going crazy as I tried my best to dodge the second Flanker that appeared. The familiar tone started again.

"Hound Three, this is Sky Sentry! Reinforcements have arrived! Break away from the airspace as soon as possible! Hurry!"

"AWACS, confirm the location of the reinforcements, will ya?" I asked in a panic. "I can only see one on my radar!"

From my location on the radar, I can see two bandits right behind me, but there was only one ally marked near where I was, heading for the bandits behind me. I then heard static on my radio, and a voice. Little did I know that that transmission would change everything for me.

"Mobius, Fox Three."

The straight beep of the missile alert was quickly put to a stop when I climbed higher. At first, I thought I had dodged the missiles, but another look at my radar showed that the bandits were gone! There was a lone green blip near where I was that headed for the rest of the enemy squadron.

"Hound Three, I'll take over from here," radioed in the lone reinforcement.

When I finally managed to fly flat, I caught a glimpse of the reinforcement's aircraft, and needless to say, I was amazed. His fighter plane was just hard to describe, but suffice to say that it was a highly-advanced fighter. The pilot himself also showed overwhelming power and skill; he was able to down most of the enemy fighters within a few moments. Within moments, my radar showed that whatever that was left of the enemy units began to fly in the opposite direction.

"What the…? Enemy forces are withdrawing?!" I wondered in surprise.

"Sk.. S..nt… to Hound Three, respond!"

With a shaky voice, I responded. "Th-this is Hound Three. E-everything's…A-OK, Sky Sentry."

* * *

I'll never forget that day. I remember watching him fly just above me, and through his plane's glass canopy, I could see him give me a thumbs-up.


	2. Chapter 2: Reprieve

"Ribbon"

Chapter 2: Reprieve

The four squadrons that were deployed for this morning's mission were all a part of the Osean Air Defense Force's 10th Air Division. The different squadrons under this division were all unique in the manner that everyone was restricted to calling each other only by their call signs, even on the ground. Along with this restriction, there was also an unwritten policy that states that these pilots need not know the backgrounds of their fellow comrades. For obvious reasons, it can be assumed that the members of the 10th Air Division were comprised of pilots hailing mostly from Osea, with the exception of a few members.

The 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Fang" is comprised of four pilots who defected from the Belkan Air Force at the onset of the war and were put into the service of the OADF; the only squadron, as well as the only group of pilots comprised of Belkans. Many truly doubted where their allegiances lay at first, as these four pilots were rumored to have small criminal records prior to joining the military and the fact that they were former members of the Belkan Air Force. With their co-operative flying styles and their drive to find their place among their new allies, they've received the praise and trust among other pilots that they truly deserved.

The 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Gull" is simply made up of only two members, and despite what many say about how they are able to work with each other, both pilots are in no way related through blood (though they've been known to joke about the matter sometimes). These two pilots met each other as roommates and graduated with top honors at their academy. They work so closely together to the point where the newer pilots still believe that they have developed a form of telepathy with each other.

The 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Swan" consists of two pilots that have been dating for an unspecified amount of time. This pair usually goes up for quick air-to-ground missions where their modified F-16Cs strike targets in only one pass that covers a large area. The team's leader was known more for his air-to-ground aggressiveness, while his wingman was known for her ability to provide very close air support as well as a high level of proficiency in aerial engagements. Their style of teamwork has led many to nickname them as the "Swan Couple" instead of the Swan Team.

Finally, the 1st Tactical Fighter Squadron "Hound" has been in service since the formation of the OADF's 10th Air Division along with the now defunct 2nd and 3rd Tactical Fighter Squadrons. This squadron has also seen limited action in the Rectan War several years back, primarily only for reconnaissance missions.

Hound One is the last surviving member of the original five members of the squadron, and as such, he keeps with him many of the memories of the "good ol' days." He essentially fits the stereotype of the loud, proud war veteran, and he's just about as lively as he must have been back then…at least, as far as I've known him.

Hound Two was called the Prodigy at the end of his first mission for the OADF. He is a known mercenary hailing from Directus, the capital city of Ustio, currently under control by Belka. The man himself wasn't quite the sociable type, so no one could really tell what went through his head. Maybe his unnatural skill in being able to handle a large variety of fighter jets in his time said a lot more for what kind of person he is than what little he actually says. Of course, it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, and that's what makes him a mystery.

And me? I'm just a fighter pilot, call sign Hound Three.

* * *

_**April 17, 1995  
****Vaud Air Force Base  
2100 hours**_

"There's no other place like home."

I've barely been assigned to this base just yesterday, and I never would've imagined that I'd have been sent up to the skies just the next morning. It's just like being the new kid in the neighborhood or the new kid at school: there's a certain level of anxiety and nervousness every new kid has to go through, and that's certainly not coming from combat stress. Still, just like that new kid, he's gotta be able to make some friends some time.

Debriefing still felt like I was still up fighting in the air; it was intense and it gave me that feeling where an alarm would just go off somewhere. The Base Commander isn't quite the friendly superior as I knew he wouldn't be, yet he gave me a compliment on the side about how impressive my flying was today. A lot of the other pilots I went up with today extended their welcomes as well as their congratulations to me today. Soon enough, I found myself at home in the company of people I can easily trust. It was that, or I've been drinking too much.

The video recording of Hound Two's final kill in the operation today was pretty impressive. Of course, it was pretty hard to figure out exactly what Hound Two did from the view inside his cockpit, and that added some suspense mixed with a few cheers upon the destruction of the enemy craft. Fortunately, Fang Four managed to record the whole maneuver, which was quite impressive and even earned quite the number of rewinds and replays by popular demand. On the video, the Belkan fighter was originally giving chase to Hound Two. The chasing plane then fired a missile, but Hound Two suddenly broke left to avoid the missile, and began to go around the plane and had successfully managed to execute a perfect circle-strafe maneuver with his aircraft to take down the enemy fighter in only fifteen rounds of machine gun fire. The maneuver itself was thought to have been impossible, and that earned Hound Two a lot of merit.

Hound Two took a bottle given to him by the Captain himself and downed it quickly before giving a smile as he was given recognition. Everyone then turned to me.

"Now this man right here," began Fang One, "he's the one who got me back here alive. So I want to thank him for it, and give him the credit that he deserves. So how about we give this rookie a damn good welcome?"

"I agree! Let's all give a warm welcome to the rookie who did exceptionally well on his first sortie…Hound Three!" declared Captain, beaming and pleased with himself…and maybe a little inebriated.

Everyone present started giving me a loud round of applause, with a few even raising up their bottles in my direction. I felt a little embarrassed and just simply raised my bottle towards Hound One and Hound Two, and nodded. I couldn't help but grin; it felt good to be given praise by the others who were much more experienced than me. Gull One and Gull Two ruffled my hair and gave me quite the hard slap on my back, which almost caused me to fall over forward.

Soon enough, the small party was over, and mostly everyone began to head off to get some much-needed sleep. As I headed back to my quarters, I was startled when someone tapped my shoulder from behind me. I then turned around quickly and saw Swan Two there, smiling with her hand extended towards me.

"Congratulations," she simply said.

I took her hand and shook it. "Thanks, and thanks again for the assistance this morning," I said, to which she chuckled.

"You know, you're the first person who's admitted that I helped you score a kill," she then said. "Everyone else doesn't like the fact that they've been helped out by a woman. But you, on the other hand…"

"I've got no problems with it, honestly," I then said. "All I want is for everyone here to be able to come home to their families safe and sound when this war's over."

A small smile then formed on her face. "Mmm, I'd like that too, and I like where your mind's set."

I couldn't help but smile at that comment.

"You know, you have a lot of potential," she then said. "Make the best out of what you have, and don't let go of what you believe in. I think you have what it takes to survive."

"Yeah, I hope we can all survive this," I then said, trying to hide a bit of sorrow from my voice. "If it hadn't been for that reinforcement showing up, then I don't think I'd have survived that encounter."

"Oh yeah, the talk of the base, right?" wondered Swan Two. "Mobius, was it?"

"Do you know anything about him?" I asked.

"Not much. I've heard he's a mercenary pilot flying a Raptor."

"A Raptor?"

"You know, the F-22 'Raptor.' Said to be one of the most advanced air superiority fighters to date," she replied quickly.

"Hmm…wonder how it feels to fly one?" I then said.

"Well you never know, you just might experience it. When you do, let me know," Swan Two replied. She then began to walk away. "I'll see you around, alright hotshot?"

"Sure thing," I said as I began to walk backwards, almost into someone else.

As I lay in my bed that night, I couldn't help but replay the events of how the man with the call sign 'Mobius' came to my aid.

"A mercenary pilot, huh?" I asked to myself before my close closed and my body drifted away to the comforting embrace of sleep.

* * *

Mercenary pilots aren't generally as well received as much as those who actually fight for their country. These pilots are instantly labeled as those who only fight to earn their keep. Others, like Hound Two and possibly even Mobius, are respected since they have their own causes to fight for. Money is the least of their troubles.

But who exactly was Mobius, and what was he like? With skill and power like that, it's strange that he chose to be a mercenary. To add to that, he was one who was fighting on our side. What exactly are his motives? More importantly, why did he save my life? Was it because my situation was _that_ bad?

Little did I know that things would change dramatically. Not just for me, but for everyone else around me. Perhaps that was the last night I'd be able to live somewhat peacefully. If anything else, that was at least a moment's reprieve for me.


	3. Chapter 3: Blitzkrieg

"Ribbon"

Chapter 3: Blitzkrieg

_**April 18, 1995  
Vaud Air Force Base  
0350 hours**_

The air raid sirens blared through the early morning's darkness. There was no time for a briefing; the wailing and constantly increasing and decreasing intensity of the warning siren was enough to get the base's personnel to prepare themselves. To add insult to injury, the air raid itself seemed to have caused a huge chaos among those who were present at the base. While the base itself currently held about forty fighter pilots, most of these were pilots who weren't even truly eligible to go off on sorties. I would've imagined that the alert sent down not only shivers, but fear itself down their spines.

Fortunately, I wasn't hung over from the party that was held not too long ago, and I managed to get in my extra flight suit that always hung behind the door of my living quarters. The hallways were packed, with barely any room for anyone to get through as quickly as possible, so that added more confusion to the chaos that was already present.

"Hey, make way for that pilot!" shouted someone, and everyone else gave me some room to finally hustle on over to the hangars. Even with this, I arrived to my destination half a minute late. In times like these, it's never a good thing when you come in late, as it would throw off the scheduling on which planes are to take off on the runway.

"There you are!" exclaimed 'Chief,' one of the base mechanics. "I was hoping this would wait until tomorrow, but your F-5E's currently inoperable due to engine failure!"

Dread came over me. "So how am I gonna get up there? And where's the Captain and Hound Two?"

"Hound One and Hound Two are on the runway right now, and they've already been informed of your situation," replied the mechanic. "As for getting up in the air…ah, there it is!"

Behind him, I watched as a fighter jet similar to my F-5E pulled up behind him. One of the other mechanics quickly got out of the cockpit.

"Your new F-20A awaits you, rookie!" said the mechanic, motioning me to get in.

"Hound Three, you gotta get in and takeoff as soon as possible," said the mechanic I was talking to. "Don't worry about the manual to this thing; it's just as easy to use as your old F-5."

"Alright," I simply said after the other mechanic handed me my helmet. "Thanks, you two!" I told them as I took off running towards the cockpit of the plane.

"Clear the way!" ordered Chief.

The heavy rain only made things worse on the base. Visibility was more than just 'poor,' it was just plain horrible. In the skies above, I could see numerous aerial engagements taking place. Missile contrails, machine gun tracer rounds, fighter jet lights, afterburner flames, and exploding aircraft lit up the night sky like fireworks on New Year's Day. I wondered if the other pilots could still even see the base itself. It was already a risky enough decision for Base Command to light up the runway and control tower. To me, it was as if they had made the base a glowing target for any possible incoming bomber craft. I guessed that taking any bombers out would be top priority for this scramble, and my prediction proved to be true through the frantic radio transmissions.

"Control Tower to all available units, our radar has picked up six Belkan B-52 bombers at vector 090. Engage these bombers; protecting the base is top priority!"

"Halo Ten to Control Tower, we are unable to comply! There's just too many enemy planes around-aaaaah!"

"No! Halo Ten, respond! Halo Ten!!"

"Damn it! Is there anyone else available? Somebody get those bombers!!"

"Gull Two, Fox Two! Son of a…! A miss?!"

"Fang Four shot one down!"

"I'm hit! Draco One, ejecting!"

"Kill confirmed for Hound Two!"

"This is Swan Leader. I've taken some machine gun fire, but I'm alright!"

"Raider Five to Control Tower, I'm requesting clearance to land! Winchester, Winchester!"

"That's a negative, Raider Five! Control Tower to all available units, Belkan bombers are currently ten miles away from the base and closing! Someone…anyone, please engage them!!"

The final pre-launch checks were completed on my end soon after. I gave a thumbs-up to Chief, who was in a yellow raincoat as he watched me prepare to takeoff from the runway.

"Hound Three, you are cleared for takeoff! Hurry!" radioed in Control Tower.

As soon as I was given clearance, I applied full thrust to the jet and accelerated forward. I felt the new sensation of a more powerful thrust coming from even just the fighter's single-engine configuration than that of my old F-5E.

_You can do this, you can do this,_ I began to mutter to myself. In that moment, I let fear get the best of me, and I started to doubt whether I'd come back alive from this engagement, or sent home in a body bag. Not that I had a home to go back to anyways.

"Hey, is that who I think it is on the runway?" wondered Gull One.

"It is!" exclaimed Swan Two.

"Alright! It's the rookie!" said Fang Two.

"Fang Two, break right, break right!!" yelled Fang One.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Fang Two as he narrowly dodged the missile.

Meanwhile, I continued to accelerate down the runway. I watched closely as my speed increased...twenty-five...sixty-three...one-eleven...one-forty-five…then the gradual ascension of my craft…five-hundred feet…eight-hundred…one-thousand five-hundred! I retracted the landing gear and started to enjoy the feeling of flying this new jet.

"Hound Three, altitude restrictions canceled! Good luck, kid!" radioed in Chief.

My own channel began to emit static. "This is Base Command to Hound Three, listen up! We've got six Belkan B-52 bombers headed for our base from vector 090, approximately five miles away. We have been authorized to give up this base, as the bombers will be close enough to drop their payload before you can even reach them!"

"Hound Three to Base Command, I don't care, I'm going to intercept those bombers!" I replied instantly after immediately turning a sharp right as soon as my altimeter read well over 1,900 feet. I tried my best to hide and ignore the fact that my voice started to tremble.

"Hound Three, turn back!" advised Base Command.

"I can't let them destroy our home! We're the last line of defense for the capital city!" I yelled back. "If need be, begin the evacuation procedures and get everyone out of there! But no matter what, I'm still heading out to engage them!"

With a heavy sigh from Base Command, he replied, sounding quite defeated. "Alright, Hound Three, you are cleared to engage. But you will follow instructions when the order to retreat is given, is that understood?!"

"Yes, sir!" I replied proudly, now with a smile on my face.

"Godspeed, Hound Three," Base Command finally said before breaking off the transmission with me.

It felt as if everything was working against us. I didn't expect that Belka would retaliate this quickly, and with such a powerful force.

"Hound Three to Control Tower, I've spotted the bombers," I radioed in. "Hound Three, engaging!"

"Control Tower to Hound Three, estimated time until bomber attack on base is two minutes," radioed back Control Tower. "Hurry!"

"What?! He's engaging the bombers?!" asked Captain, obviously surprised. By the tone of his voice, I couldn't tell whether he was pleased or shocked to hear this.

My channel began to start up again. "This is Hound Two. I'm breaking off all engagements to provide support," he said.

"Roger that, Hound Two," I replied. "Current position is about two miles east from the base, on vector 090."

I armed my semi-active air-to-air missiles, and waited. The B-52 bombers started to appear within range, and my missiles locked on to the two nearest bombers. I immediately fired without hesitation.

"Hound Three, Fox One!"

Two missiles launched forward instantly after being deployed, seeking the indicated targets. From beyond, I could see two explosions, but the targeting system showed that the two bombers were still flying. I cursed under my breath and tried again. The missiles flew straight and true, and both bombers were finally downed.

"Nice kill!" congratulated Hound Two, who finally showed up on my radar, very close to my position.

"Control Tower to all units, we've got Hound Two and Hound Three engaging the bombers," announced Control Tower. "However, HQ has ordered us to give up Vaud Air Force Base."

"Hound Three," called out Hound Two through our channel, "it's very likely that we won't be able to down all of the bombers before they reach the base. Be prepared for anything, alright?"

A sudden mixture of anger and worry came over me. "What do you mean by that?!" I asked angrily. "Are we just going to give up that easily?"

"Listen to me," asserted Hound Two. "The way things are right now, we just don't have the numbers to be able to put up a fight against an air raid such as this. As much as I hate to admit it, we're fighting a losing battle right now."

"Damn it!" was all I could shout over the radio. At this point, I've finally come to realize that what Hound Two said was true. I still couldn't help but feel angry at myself for being so weak at a time like this. Even with a new fighter, it still wasn't enough.

"All units, head south and retreat," finally radioed in Control Tower, sounding defeated at first. "I repeat, all units, head south and retreat!! Break off all current engagements and head south!" he then yelled desperately.

"No, it can't be!" yelled the Captain. "We…lost?"

"Hound One, get a hold of yourself, sir!" said Gull Two. "We may have lost this battle, but we haven't lost this war yet! Gull Two to all units, follow orders, and _don't_ get shot down on the way out!

Hound Two came on again.

"Damn it," he muttered. "We've got no choice, let's leave the rest up to them."

"Are…are they gonna make it out alive?" I asked. I hoped they would be able to, yet deep down, I knew there would be no time to escape; the bombers were only two miles away from the base. I couldn't bring myself to look as in a few minutes, I could hear the distinct sound of bombs being dropped, and what might have been the hangars exploding. I hoped Chief and the others made it out alright…

"I…I can't…" began Hound Two.

"I see," I simply said, with my voice filled with sorrow. "Let's go regroup with the others, Hound Two."

"Roger that, Hound Three," he simply replied. Even with the tone of his voice now completely devoid of any emotion, I could still feel the sorrow in his heart.

We managed to regroup with our fellow comrades as we all applied as much thrust as we could to our engines in an attempt to flee any remaining Belkan fighters. Still, they fought as if they had no intention of letting any one of us escape alive. Without warning, I barely managed to dodge a missile which headed straight for…no…_no_!

"Damn! My craft's trailing smoke!" said the Captain as the missile made a direct hit on the left wing. I could see that the engine of his F-5 started to die down as well.

"Captain, you've got to eject!" Hound Two suddenly radioed in upon hearing the Captain's status. It took several moments before he could respond.

"Heh…" wheezed the Captain. In the background, I could hear numerous alert tones mixing with each other, as if Death himself was calling out to him. "Looks like…this is it," he managed to say.

"Hound One, respond!" called out Fang One as the Captain's plane started to fly strangely, narrowly missing Fang One's jet.

"Captain, don't give up!" yelled Hound Two desperately. "Eject! Eject!!"

"You boys best take care of yourselves…understood?" he asked, groaning in pain.

"Captain!" was all I managed to yell.

More gunfire and missiles came towards our direction, and soon after, the Captain's plane exploded. The explosion sent a small shockwave that rocked my plane as well as Hound Two's. The radio erupted in a frenzy of shock, disbelief, and desperation. We were almost out of the enemy's sight, but more planes showed up on my radar. Six missiles suddenly came at our group from ahead of us, causing us all to react accordingly.

"Raider Five just went down!" reported Fang Three.

"More missiles incoming!" yelled Gull One. "Break!"

I quickly turned left to avoid the second wave of missiles as the enemy planes passed ours. Now, we were being hunted again.

"This is Hound Two to all planes! Evade enemy fire and continue south! Hound Three and I will cover your escape!"

"Hound Two, we can't afford to lose any more lives!" Swan Leader yelled at him. "Come with us!"

"I'm afraid I cannot comply with that order, Swan Leader," replied Hound Two. "Hound Two, engage!"

"Hound Three, engage!" I yelled, as our comrades flew past the two of us who engaged the enemy planes. There were two Flankers as well as two MiG-29s. We knew this would be a tough battle, but one that we couldn't afford to lose no matter what, for their sakes as well as ours.

"There's two of us and four of them," reported Hound Two. "The main objective here is to stall them, is that understood?"

"Are we cleared to down them?" I asked, feeling the heat of anger rising within me. I was ready to avenge the Captain.

"This is war," replied Hound Two. "It's kill or be killed. Let's go!"

"You Belkan bastards are going to pay! Die!!" I yelled, hoping they would hear me. Hound Two and I quickly managed to tail one of the MiGs. I immediately released a missile as soon as I locked-on to the target. Hound Two also fired one as well, and our missiles instantly blew up the enemy craft. _Three more to go._

We were relentless during that engagement. It was as if both of us had come under the possession of blood-thirsty demons. We lit up the night sky with missile contrails and tracers, not letting the enemy planes fire another shot nor giving them the chance to tail one of us. I got into the position of attacking one of the Flankers head-on, and I practically emptied my machine gun rounds into that aircraft as well as the ejecting pilot. _Two more to go._

I immediately performed a tight somersault maneuver to get into position of downing the second MiG-29. I yelled furiously as I unloaded two more missiles to down the bandit. I continued to circle around the downed fighter, and fired another missile to make sure the pilot's body would never be recovered. _One more to go._

Images and memories of the Captain started to appear in my mind…even from the days where he was my flight instructor.

_"Hey you, don't forget to check your six. If I wasn't your instructor, I wouldn't want to be the one saving your ass out there, because if you haven't realized it, I'm an old, fat, and slow pilot!"_

_"Hey, I know you! You've been assigned here, of all places…to MY squadron? Well never mind that, how the hell are ya?"_

_"Hound Three, ready for your first sortie? It could be any day, hell, even anytime now until you REALLY start flying!"_

_"I'm proud of ya, kid. You did a hell of a job today!"_

The faint, long beep of the lock-on tone gradually increased in intensity, snapping me back into reality. I could feel the tears welling up, but I could do nothing else other than fire the last of my missiles at the target with my eyes shut. The bright flash and the all too familiar sound of an exploding plane was more than enough of a confirmation.

"All bandits…shot down," said Hound Two, quietly. "Are you alright, Hound Three?"

I didn't respond to this. My vision was blurry, and it wasn't because of the rain.

"Hound Three, are you okay?"

"No," I said firmly. "I'm not."

And soon enough, we evaded the pursuing Belkan fighters. Maybe they turned back and let us all escape as an act of mercy, but 'mercy' wouldn't be a fitting word for a lighting-quick assault such as what we all experienced today.

"Fang One to all units," my radio chattered, "patching transmission from HQ."

"This is HQ to all remaining units from the Vaud Air Force Base," began the transmission. "Osean escort fighters have successfully made contact with the evacuating personnel and are en route to Apito Air Base."

"Whew, that's a relief," breathed Gull One. "We owe you, sir."

"No need for thanks, Gull One; we're all just doing our jobs here," replied HQ, almost as if he didn't actually mean that.

"This means we head for Apito then, sir?" asked Swan Leader.

"That's correct," replied HQ. "You have until 0615 hours to begin landing procedures for all planes. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," was all that our aching hearts managed to reply with.

* * *

I remember feeling a heavy weight crushing my heart when I looked back and saw the numerous explosions and the cloud of smoke rising from where the place we called our home was. I couldn't hear the air raid sirens anymore from where I currently at; I hoped everyone managed to escape alive.

Many people believe that every sunrise brings hope, as there's something about the sun itself that gives new light to a new day; a chance for people to start over. On that morning however, the image of the rising sun seemed to shine down upon the victory of the Belkan Air Force. A victory that cost me my home, as well as companions.

Dawn will forever be changed for me as something I would never look forward to seeing ever again.


End file.
